1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to a gas purity analysis and monitoring system, and particularly to a system capable of analyzing a gas sample at a user facility and transmitting gas purity and/or oil and particle information to a remote facility where it is quickly determined if the gas substance has passed certain gas purity requirements. The remote facility is also capable of providing continuous and automatic monitoring services with respect to gas purity and/or oil and particle levels.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There is a growing need in the industry for gas purity testing systems that can provide gas purity analysis results to the user quickly and efficiently. The standard method in the art for testing the quality of gas samples is to first capture the sample and then transport the actual sample to a certified, accredited laboratory for analysis. The user must then wait, weeks perhaps, until the sample has been analyzed and certified by a qualified government laboratory.
However, given the demand for quality air sources, such as compressed air tanks for SCUBA diving, and compressed air used for human inhalation in industrial plants, hospitals and by firemen, as well as ambient air, the standard method is not practical. It is cumbersome and costly, given the potential loss of sales a vendor may experience waiting for certification of the gas sample. These samples often must be taken periodically at short time intervals which further exacerbates the problem.
Further, a gas sample that passes the required gas purity standards and obtains certification one day may, if impurities enter the tank or facility, become tainted and fall below the certification requirement the next day. However, given the length of time and cumbersome nature of transporting gas sample to a test center, the facility, possibly a hospital, will rely on its prior certification, leading to a possibly dangerous, if not life-threatening situation wherein air, believed to be pure based upon a prior, three-week-old test, actually contains impurities.
Accordingly, there is a significant need in the art for a gas purity sample analysis system that allows a user to effectively test an air sample on site as often as the user would like and without the actual sample being physically carried to a testing facility, while still being certified by a qualified third party, by providing the gas sample into a sampling unit located at the user's facility, and the results being electrically transmitted remotely to the certification facility. The gas purity and/or oil/particle content information is then sent, via electronic data transmission, to a monitoring center where the sample quality information is compared by qualified people to a database of industry standards, and the user is notified, within minutes, if the sample tested has attained certification by meeting or exceeding industry purity standards. Further, there is a need in the art for a gas purity analysis system whereby the remote facility can constantly monitor the gas supply at a user facility and send instructions and/or shut down the flow of gas should be determined to be contaminated.
It is, therefore, to the effective resolution of the aforementioned problems and shortcomings of the prior art that the present invention is directed.